English Civil War mass grave found

Construction work in Durham, England, has led to the discovery of a mass grave containing between 17-28 Scottish soldiers who were taken prisoner after the Battle of Dunbar in 1650.

The Battle of Dunbar was one of the most brutal, bloody and short battles of the 17th Century civil wars. In less than an hour the English Parliamentarian army, under the command of Oliver Cromwell, defeated the Scottish Covenanting army who supported the claims of Charles II to the Scottish throne.

Although the exact figures are not known, it is thought that around 1,700 Scottish soldiers died of malnutrition, disease and cold after being marched over 100 miles from the South East of Scotland to Durham, in North East England, where they were imprisoned in Durham Cathedral and Castle, by then disused for several years.

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Story: Durham University | Photo: Durham University